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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Where to Begin?

I guess I'll begin about a month ago. I was due for a hair cut, and made a last-minute appointment to see a hairdresser in town. I ended up seeing the same woman who gave me my first post-shave, mullet-removal hair cut back in October. After washing my hair, before picking up her scissors, she said, "I should ask - are they sore?" "Um, are what sore?" She said, "The bald patches."

Um, WHAT?! What bald patches?!

She counted five. Four on the back of my head, and one right on top, near the back. No wonder I didn't know they were there - I can barely see one, and have no chance of seeing the others!

Finally fed up with this (not just the hair loss but the knowledge that the cause of it goes much deeper than follicles), I decided to book an appointment with my friend's osteopath.

An informative (if not weird) appointment for sure. He uses a technique called applied kinesiology to diagnose conditions and food sensitivities. I'll spare you the description, but it seemed pretty unbelievable to me - except that he was right.

I'll make a long story short and cut to the good part:
He diagnosed me with leaky gut syndrome, low adrenal function, low thyroid function, whole-body inflammation and autoimmune issues.
He went on to test me for food sensitivities, particularly ones that would affect my thyroid and Alopecia. He didn't test everything, but the list was long enough: gluten, corn, dairy, soy, eggs, and a bacteria that lives on the outside of fruit and sweet vegetables. (That means I can only eat fruits that I can peel, and I need to peel vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.) The reason I react to so many foods is related to the leaky gut syndrome. The theory, then, is heal the gut and cure the sensitivities (at least somewhat).

Eggs?! *sigh* I was eating at least 14 eggs a week. I love eggs for breakfast! And yet, after a crazy 3-day detox after my appointment, I got up and realized the lower back pain that has plagued me for years was 100% gone. So gluten makes my joints hurt, and eggs make my back hurt. Bummer.

So now I need to embark on a mission to heal my gut - and learn to live without eggs, at least for the time being. Basically the plan is to eat the way I've been eating for the last year, strictly avoiding those foods on the list, and including some of the principles from the GAPS diet. Lots of broth, natural fermented foods, etc.

Yesterday I started a Whole30 as a way to get back on track in a hurry. I ate a lot of things I shouldn't have over the Easter long weekend. After the 30 days my plan is to add back a few things - like honey! - that I should be able to tolerate, won't set my progress back, and will allow for a few more treats. I refuse to live a treat-free life, but I also want to be able to reclaim my health and not be a slave to food intolerances forever.

2 comments:

It really sucks that you can't eat eggs!! How is the hair going now? Have you noticed more patches or are they growing back in now? I hope this Whole30 and time with the Osteopath will help. Love and prayers to you :)